Paradise
The Caliphate of Paradise is the most powerful nation in the Middle East and one of the most powerful nations within the entire world. It has, in its long history, shared a border with such notable and memorable nations as Al Araam , The Roman Empire, Trilateral Commission, and Oaksendom. Spanning the vastness of the Arabian Peninsula, Paradise is one of the largest nations in area in the world, and is by far the largest Muslim state in the Middle East. It is a highly conservative and religious nation with 100% of its population being officially Sunni Muslim. Its two most important cities are Riyadh, the political capital, and Mecca, the religious and administrative capital. Its military and economic power is almost completely unmatched and has made it the most powerful Muslim state in the Middle East and the world. One of if not the oldest nation in the Middle East, Paradise is both highly respected and highly feared among all its peers. There are very few moments in Middle East history where Paradise did not intervene in one way or another. Though in recent years Paradise has undergone long stints of isolation, the nation has always remained at the top of power in the region. Perhaps its lowest point, Paradise suffered greatly under the time of the Dominion but after the military super-state's collapse, Paradise began a massive recovery effort. Today the Caliphate of Paradise has once again become a lush, invigorated nation. Its military and economic power continues to the grow, leaving many the wonder if the nation will ever reach an apex of power. History In 1902, Abd Al-Aziz bin Abd al-Rahman Al Saud captured the Arabian city of Riyadh and set out on a 30-year campaign of conquest to unify the Arabian Peninsula. His campaign would be successful and from this unified region a Kingdom would emerge. In the 1930s, the discovery of oil transformed the country as its economy soared and it quickly became a prosperous, industrious nation. While the wealth of the country began to increase so to did the need for stability not only within the borders of the nations but also for the region. Thus the country began to arm itself and swiftly began to rise in military expertise and power. By 1988, the country under the Saud family had become the military hegemony of the Middle East. On August 12th 1990, a Coup d'État led by General Muhammad bin Ali Fayiz, a brilliant militarist who was greatly displeased with the currently royal government, deposed the old regime and instead instituted his own imperial government. Under Emperor Fayiz, Paradise prospered both economically and militarily. Paradise invaded its southern anarchic neighbor, Yemen and incorporated the region into its borders. In the United Arab Emirates, Emperor Fayiz successfully toppled the previous government through covert actions and installed a puppet government to replace it. Before the United Arab Emirates created instability along its border with Paradise but this was dealt with during the puppet regimes. However, the puppet government would eventually collapse, forcing the Empire to invaded the United Arab Emirates and occupied the area. Paradisian claims weren't recognized by its then neighbor the Empire of Patrua, leading the area as an occupied territory but not officially part of the Empire of Paradise. It wasn't until the collapse of the Patruan government that the United Arab Emirates became fully apart of the Empire. After the invasion of the United Arab Emirates, the Paradisian foreign policy shifted to isolationism. There were some rumors about military aid sent to the Emperor-Priest Jorzo Mafil's faction during the civil war of Scythirus as well as to the Socialist Sheikdom of Egyria and to the Holy Papal Empire of [Europe. However, these claims were never confirmed by the imperial government or any other foreign sources and thus it is accepted history that the nation remained isolated from the global stage for several years. The Empire broke would finally break its isolationist policy when it invaded and occupied its northern neighbor United Elias with the help of a coalition made of Paradise, Al Araam, Trilateral Commission and the Resplendent Dawn. It was at a meeting in Baghdad at the conclusion of the war that United Elias's territory was divided between the coalition members: United Elias's Saudi Arabian territory went to Paradise, Iraq and Kuwait went to Al Araam, Jordan went to the Resplendent Dawn, Sinai to Trilateral Commission and the Egyptian region went to Wadj. A permanent alliance also emerged from the Baghdad Meeting: the Baghdad Pact. Its original members were: Paradise, Al Araam, the Resplendent Dawn, Wadj, Quaon, the Lambda League and Ammochostos. It was wish the founding of this alliance that Paradise truly entered the global stage. It was also during this time that Paradisian clerics recognized the nation's role in the Middle East and Islam. It was due to this new realization that the religious branch of the government convince the Emperor to began a series of policies that would lead to the creation of a Caliphate. Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, a well known Islamic cleric within the Empire at the time, was appointed Caliph and held spiritual authority in Paradise while the Emperor remained in political power. In the early years of the new Empire, Paradise experience a new era of prosperity. This prosperity would eventually be shattered when war was started between the Empire and the Allied States of Free Paradise, a nation formed from Paradisians who fled Paradise for Asia. The war would be brutal and would eventually lead to the nuking of New Ryiadh, the capital of Free Paradise. This single act of the Empire would bring the deaths of 300,000 free Paradisian civilians as well as a terrible backlash from a shocked and horrified international community. It was not shortly after this war that the Baghdad Pact, a great symbol of the accomplishments of the Paradisian Empire, was officially dismantled. This lost was a devastating blow to the Imperial government and would lead the Emperor to resign. In the Emperor's absence, the Caliphate would take control of the Empire, merging the state with the religion to officially turn the Empire of Paradise into the Caliphate of Paradise. This was the beginning of drastic changes within Paradise as it would quickly rebound from the lose of the Baghdad Pact and assert its power over the Islamic world and the Middle East, politically, economically, and military. The Paradisian military alone during this time was at its apex of power, globally recognized as the world's largest and most powerful force. =Government and Politics= Many political anaylists once qualified the Empire of Paradise as a modern fascist state. With the emergence of the Caliphate, amny adjusted their qualifying factors and relabeled Paradise as a theocratic state. The central institution of the Paradisian government is the Caliph whom wields both executive and legislative authority, acting as the Head of State, the Head of Government and Sacred Leader of Islam. The Holy Qur'an has been adopted as the constitution of the country which is governed on the basis of Islamic law (Shari'a). There are national elections within the Caliphate and political parties are legal. The legislative branch is represented by the Islamic Council made of 700 local representatives that are democratically elected but these elected representatives hold no real power. The executive branch is represented by the Islamic High Council made of a varying number of ministers. The judicial branch is represented by the Holy Council of Justice made of 5 Supreme Judges appointed by the Caliph for life. Civil rights are indefinitely suspended within the Caliphate. After the Coup d'État against the old Saud government, an imperial decree was instituted which set in place martial law. When the Empire became the Caliphate, martial law was extended in order to preserve the stability enjoyed during the reign of the Empire. Even today martial law remains in application and continues to preserve peace and stability. The Military of Paradise has a disproportionate power within the government as 53% of the huge national budget goes into defense. The Paradisian military has become a staple of Paradisian culture and power, a fact explained by the fact that Muhammad bin Ali Fayiz, first Emperor of Paradise was himself an ex-General. Paradisian courts impose capital punishment and corporal punishment, including amputations of hands and feet for serious robbery, and floggings for lesser crimes such as "sexual deviance" (i.e. homosexuality) and drunkenness. Religious police enforce a modest code of dress and many institutions from schools to departments are gender-segregated. Homosexual men and women are prosecuted (sometimes publicly) and/or executed, if they are found to be engaging in same-sex sexual activities. Politics in detail Country name: * conventional long form: Caliphate of Paradise * conventional short form: Paradise Government type: theocracy Capital: Riyadh Independence: September 23, 1932 National holiday: Rebirth of the Caliphate, May 5, 2006 Constitution: governed according to Shari'a (Islamic law) Legal system: based on Islamic law; commercial disputes handled by special committees; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction Suffrage: Male citizens aged 21 years or older. Executive branch The Caliph The Caliph, while not only acting as the spiritual head of the Islamic world, serves as both the Head of State and the Head of Government of the Caliphate of Paradise. In the earlier history of Paradise the country was a powerful Empire ruled over by a Dynastic Emperor which exerted both executive and legislative powers over the Imperial State. However, the Empire, which had lasted for decades, would eventually be reorganized into a Caliphate. Through this reorganization of the state and the powers of the government, the Emperor's power and position was transformed and invested into a Caliph and the position that Caliph holds. Caliph of Paradise is often also referred to as Amīr al-Mu'minīn (أمير المؤمنين or "Commander of the Faithful"), Imam al-Ummah, Imam al-Mu'minīn (إمام المؤمنين or leader of the Muslims). Indeed the Caliph fills a very powerful role as spiritual head of the Islamic faith, giving the Caliph extra-national authority and power over Muslims not only in the Middle East but across the globe. Today the Caliph exerts unlimited and all encompassing power, both spiritual and political, over the Caliphate in all the levels of government: executive, legislative, and judicial. Though concessions have been made in each branch of the government that have allowed for the creation of seemingly "democratic" institutions, these organizations in reality hold little power beyond that of consultative councils for the Caliph's use on important issues. The Caliph's powers are theoretically limited within the bounds of Shari'a and other Islamic traditions however, traditionally there have been very few cases where a Caliph's will has come in conflict with Islamic law. This has lead to symbolic belief that the Caliph's power is truly limitless. Perhaps the Caliph's more important policy and goal, beyond the domestic goals of economic prosperity and military defense for Paradise is the spreads Islam by funding construction of mosques and Qur'an schools around the world. A Caliph's term is limitless and can only end by either the death of the Caliph or his abdication. Islamic High Council The Islamic High Council is a organ of the executive branch of government created by the Caliph. A collection of executive level ministries, the Islamic High Council has been assigned limited powers that allow each ministry to keep an administrative watch on certain departments and agencies within the Paradisian government. Ministers of the Islmaic High Council are appointed by the Caliph and serve lifetime appointments. Their overall duty to the Caliph is to sit in council and advise the Caliph on their particular area of expertise whether it be foreign affairs, transportation, or education. At last count the Islamic High Council had 20 ministries as well as several department and agencies within the said ministries. Ministries of the Islamic High Council * Ministry of War and Defense * Ministry of Foreign Affairs * Ministry of Interiors * Ministry of Justice * Ministry of Caliphate Security * Ministry of International Intelligence * Ministry of Finance and Revenue * Ministry of Business and Enterprise * Ministry of Petroleum, Natural Resources, and Energy * Ministry of Commerce and International Trade * Ministry of Islamic Affairs * Ministry of Middle East Security * Ministry of Media, Culture, and Sport * Ministry of Agriculture and Environment * Ministry of Labor and Infrastructure * Ministry of Education and Social Development * Ministry of Transportation * Ministry of Health and Social Welfare * Ministry of Communities and Local Government * Ministry of Postal Services Legislative branch The Islamic Council The Islamic Council is unicameral legislative body made up of a total of 700 seats and located in the nation's capital. The Caliphate is divided into 50 emirates and each emirate is allowed to democratically elect 14 representatives to the Islamic Council to represent the local issues of the emirates. Each member of the Islamic Council, which are given the title of Councilor, serves a 5 year term with the ability to run for as many successive terms as desired. Political parties are also legal within the Caliphate and councilors often run for a seat on the Islamic Council to represent local areas of the Caliphate as candidates of particular parties. Often times the opinions of the Islamic Council reflect the opinions of the political party that holds the majority of seats within the council. The Islamic Council is established and organized to allow for debate between the Councilors on issues of laws and legislation of the Caliphate. Often times these debates can last for days before the Islamic Council comes to some form of consensus on any particular issues of debate. Debates are monitored by the High Councilor who acts as head of the Islamic Council and mediator in debates. The high Councilor is appointed by the party that holds a majority within the Islamic Council. The High Councilor's primary duty is to maintain order throughout the duration of the debates as well as guide the Islamic Council through the debating process. Technically the High Councilor has the ability to end the debate at their own discretion however, tradition holds that debates are to end once every member has had their chance to speak. The High Councilor also administers the votes that the Islamic Council holds to come to their consensus. The Islamic Council also has the ability to form as many committees and other smaller councils as deemed necessary for study and research on specific particular issues such as issues on economics and defense. While in theory the Islamic Council operates as the legislative organ of the Paradisian government, in practice the council holds no real power as all legislative power resides with the Caliph. Instead the Islamic Council acts solely as a consultative intity to the Caliph, advising the Caliph on the important issues of state when requested by the Caliph to do so. There are no laws or policies that force the Caliph to gain any form of approval from the Islamic Council to ratify bills into laws. Also at any time the Caliph has full authority to dismisses the current Islamic Council and for new elections or to completely disband the Islamic Council completely. Judicial branch The Holy Council of Justice is the highest court within the Caliphate of Paradise. Criminal cases are tried under Sharia courts in Paradise. These courts exercise authority over the entire population including foreigners (regardless of religion). Cases involving small penalties are tried in Shari'a summary courts. More serious crimes are adjudicated in Shari'a courts of common pleas. Courts of appeal handle appeals from Shari'a courts and civil cases may also be tried under Sharia courts. The Holy Council of Justice is considered the highest of all these courts and its members are often seen as the highest authorities within the judicial system on Paradisian law, aside from the Caliph who has supreme authority. Main sources of Paradisian law are the Qur'an, state regulations and royal decrees (where these are relevant), and customs and practices of the Paradisian people. The Paradisian legal system prescribes capital punishment or corporal punishment, including amputations of hands and feet for certain crimes such as murder, robbery, rape, drug smuggling, homosexual activity, and adultery. The courts may impose less severe punishments, such as floggings, for less serious crimes against public morality such as drunkenness. Murder, accidental death and bodily harm are open to punishment from the victim's family. Retribution may be sought in kind or through blood money. The blood money payable for a woman's accidental death but is half as much as that for a Muslim male. The main reason for this is that, according to Islamic law, men are expected to be providers for their families and therefore are expected to earn more money in their lifetimes. The blood money from a man would be expected to sustain his family, for at least a short time. Honor killings are also not punished as severely as murder. This generally stems from the fact that honor killings are within a family, and done to compensate for some dishonorable act committed. The Holy Council of Justice is made up of five Supreme Judges whom are appointed by the Caliph for life. =The Economy= Paradisian economy could be qualified as corporatist. Essentially, it is composed of private sectoral monopolies which receive all government contracts. These contracts can be for weapons, food, construction, etc. Most people (excluding CEOs, politicians and military officers) have their income completely taxed but the State provides them everything they need on a meritocratic basis (the more taxes you pay, the more goods and services you receive from the State). In other words, the State knows what's good for you and rewards you if you are a productive citizen. The economic system is efficient, people who do not work receive nothing from the State and there is no minimum wage. There is no social safety net. Usually, unemployed people have no choice but to join the Military in order to survive. The average unemployement rate is about 2%. Natural Resources Petroleum, natural gas, fish, Rock salt, marble; small deposits of coal, gold, lead, nickel, copper, iron ore, asbestos, limestone, chromium, and gypsum. Agricultural Resources Wheat, barley, tomatoes, melons, dates, citrus, mutton, chickens, eggs, milk, grain, fruits, vegetables, pulses, qat, coffee, cotton; dairy products, livestock (sheep, goats, cattle, camels), poultry, fish, watermelon, limes, bananas, and alfalfa. Imports Machinery equipment, foodstuffs, chemicals, motor vehicles, Textiles, live animals, and lubricants. Exports Petroleum, petroleum products, coffee, dried and salted fish, and metals. Category:Paradise Category:Middle East